If you have a set of fine china or crystal handed down in your family, you can imagine the care it takes to clean and preserve all the place settings and glasses in the Biltmore collection!
There are three generations of china and crystal stored in Biltmore House, and much of it is more than 100 years old. The china is stored in glass cupboards on two levels in the two-story Butler’s Pantry, and a comprehensive inventory system helps our conservators keep track of each object. A unique identification number is assigned to every dish and glass, the location of the piece is recorded, and a digital photo of it is included in an inventory database.
Cleaning all the china and crystal in the Butler’s Pantry is a process that takes several weeks to complete. Each piece is dusted, wiped with a mixture of ethanol and water, and dried with lint-free cloths. All the objects are inspected for unstable cracks.
“Most of the cleaning and dusting is done in the Butler’s Pantry, because the less we move such fragile pieces, the better,” said Genevieve Bieniosek, Associate Furniture Conservator.
During a recent cleaning project, the conservators noticed that some of the crystal on display was suffering from ‘glass disease.’ According to Genevieve, this is a condition where components in the glass structure leach out over time, causing the glass to appear cloudy. “If left untreated,” she said, “it will eventually create a fine network of cracks over the piece.”
The glasses were treated by washing them with mild soap and water, drying them with soft towels, and letting them air dry for several hours. “By treating them now, we avoid permanent damage from the glass disease,” Genevieve said.
In addition to cleaning the fragile collections, our conservators are always looking for ways to improve the preservation process.
“We recently looked into different types of padding material to keep the china safer, and placed sheets of polyethylene foam between each dish. The material is very stable, so the sheets don’t break down and create chemicals that could harm the china,” said Genevieve.
The table in the Breakfast Room features place settings of the original china and crystal George Vanderbilt chose for Biltmore House. To see more of the Vanderbilt china and crystal collection up close, take the guided Upstairs – Downstairs Tour of Biltmore House, which goes behind-the-scenes into the Butler’s Pantry.
You can also explore our current exhibition at the Biltmore Legacy in Antler Hill Village. The Vanderbilts at Home and Abroad is a fascinating glimpse into the lives of George, Edith, and Cornelia Vanderbilt and includes some of the china they used for special occasions and events.
(Article written by Jean Sexton.)